II. Аrrange the texts according to the following sequence and put the appropriate numbers near the boxes:
1. The Parliament functions
2. The Parliament’s powers and responsibilities
3. The role of the Queen
4. The House of Commons and members of Parliament
5. The Speaker of the House of Commons
5. The House of Lords
6. The functions of the Lord Speaker
7. The Government
III. Not looking into the texts but following the plan of Task II and using words and phrases from Core Vocabulary 2 speak briefly about the British Parliament.
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Parliament is where politicians (MPs) meet to decide laws and make decisions for the United Kingdom. It is not the same as the Government (which runs the country). One of the jobs Parliament does is to check that the Government is running the country properly.
What is the job of Parliament?
The main functions of Parliament are:
- to pass laws
- to scrutinise government policy and administration, including proposals for expenditure
- to debate the major issues of the day
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| Core Vocabulary 2
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to appoint - назначить
to elect - избрать
election - выборы
to make decision – принять решение
bill - законопроект
peer - пэр
to pass a law – принять закон
debate an issue – проводить дебаты по вопросу
determine a decision – определять решение
constituency – избирательный округ
| A Member of Parliament (MP) is a person in the United Kingdom who represents the people of an area (called a "constituency") in the House of Commons. They are voted for by the people in a general election. The Prime Minister chooses when to hold a general election, but must have an election at least once every five years. MPs are usually members of a group called a political party. In the UK, the three main political parties are as follows:
The Labour party
The Conservative party
The Liberal Democrats.
| | to inherit - унаследовать
inheritance - наследство
final say – последнее слово
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At the centre of government is the prime minister and the cabinet. Cabinet ministers lead departments such as education and defence, with help from junior ministers. It is convention that members of the government are drawn from the ranks of MPs and peers.
MPs and peers (and the Queen). While MPs are elected to the House of Commons, members of the House of Lords - also called peers - are appointed by the prime minister. The monarch is represented as well. The Palace of Westminster is home to the Houses of Parliament.
| | to scrutinize – внимательно изучать
deputy – заместитель
preside over – председательствовать на/в …
double check - перепроверить
policy – политика, меры
monetary policy – денежная политика
social security – социальное обеспечение
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| The Lord Speaker presides over proceedings in the House of Lords chamber giving procedural advice and assistance.
The Lord Speaker acts as an ambassador for the House in the UK and abroad, explaining the work of the House of Lords and its contribution to Parliament. The Lord Speaker also represents the House of Lords on ceremonial occasions.
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| The House of Commons has 659 members who have been elected by local residents to represent an area of the country in Parliament. The members are called MPs (Members of Parliament). Each MP represents one of 659 constituencies (areas) in the UK and is a member of a political party, such as New Labour or the Conservative party.
The Commons is the most important place for discussing policies and making laws.
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| The House of Lords is made up of people who have inherited family titles and those who have been given titles because of their outstanding work in one field or another. There are 675 members of the Lords.
The main job of the House of Lords is to 'double check' new laws to make sure they are fair and will work.
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| The Queen is the official Head of State. Britain has a constitutional monarchy where the Queen only rules symbolically; in reality, power belongs to Parliament. So, although the Queen 'opens' Parliament each year and laws are passed in her name, the Queen herself plays no part in determining decisions made in Parliament.
The Queen has the final say on whether a bill becomes law.
The last Monarch to reject a law that was wanted by both Houses of Parliament was Queen Anne. She died in 1715.
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| | | Parliament at Westminster in London can legislate for the UK as a whole and has powers to legislate for any parts of it separately. However, it will not normally legislate on matters concerning Scotland and Northern Ireland without the agreement of the Scottish Parliament and the Northern Ireland Assembly respectively. The Westminster Parliament still has UK-wide responsibility in a number of areas including defence, foreign affairs, economic and monetary policy, social security, employment, and equal opportunities.
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| | | | The chief officer of the House of Commons is the Speaker, elected by MPs to preside over the House.
Permanent officers (who are not MPs) include the Clerk of the House of Commons, who is the principal adviser to the Speaker on the House's privileges and procedures and Sergeant of Arms who is responsible for security.
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